No way in the world
Melissa Rohlin
Los Angeles Times
Simply put, no.
The Sunderlands didn't even let their 16-year-old daughter walk her dog alone at night. How could they have permitted her to circumnavigate the globe alone?
Her parents were probably riddled with regret when Abby was stranded in the middle of the Indian Ocean incommunicado amid 20- to 25-foot waves.
When a child has a life-threatening dream, it should remain inside a vibrant imagination, tucked under warm covers.
As a young girl, I had many dreams. Above all, I wanted to fly. I used to jump off chairs, stretch out my arms and hope I'd take flight. Before I attempted to leap off tables and countertops, my parents intervened. And after lots of gentle coaxing, I developed a new dream.
Hopefully, before Abby tries to embark on the perilous journey again, her parents will offer her similar guidance.
xcxmrohlin@tribune.com
Too many variables
Ron Fritz
Baltimore Sun
Maybe I'm just being old-school — or simply old — but, no, a 16-year-old should not sail around the world alone. I'm not even sure 16-year-olds should be able to drive cars. There are simply too many variables a 16-year-old sailor hasn't seen before, most importantly weather conditions.
It's like a new driver trying to deal with snow or ice for the first time. It never goes well: "That ditch sure seemed a lot farther away when I hit the brakes and slid into it."
Having a young sailor try to make it around the world makes even less sense. I don't care if the family prints money and can afford to let their 16-year-old "live her dream."
Thank goodness Abby Sunderland was found and she's OK. What's wrong with being 25 and living your dream?
rtfritz@tribune.com
It's parents' call
Shannon Ryan
Chicago Tribune
Pocahontas was about 12 when she interceded to save John Smith's life. Marie Antoinette became Dauphine of France at 14. Just this May, Jordan Romero climbed Mount Everest at 13. Precocious teens have made history without adults squelching their dreams.
Solo sailor Abby Sunderland's mission to navigate around the world at age 16 failed because of a wave in the Indian Ocean, not because of her age.
Of course, Page 1 of every parenting handbook includes the right for mom and dad to say no.
But Sunderland's parents did not act recklessly. They denied her wish to sail around the world for three years, made sure she had thousands of hours of solo sailing and that she displayed the maturity to understand the gargantuan task. She fell short of her goal, but we should applaud her guts to follow her dream with her parents' support.
sryan@tribune.com
Dangerous, pointless
Steve Waters
Sun Sentinel
Absolutely not. Besides being too dangerous, what's the point? These kids are too young to fully appreciate what they are doing.
And the cynic in me believes that American Abby Sunderland, who had to be rescued last week after her boat was dismasted in a storm, and Australian Jessica Watson, who last month became the youngest to sail around the world solo, did it primarily for the notoriety and the money.
Both teens have sponsors and Web sites that offer official Abby and Jessica stuff that you can buy!
Despite Sunderland's mishap, I fear even younger kids will attempt the same stunt. At least until one of them is lost at sea. Then the finger-pointing that will follow will keep the kids at the dock for a while.
swaters@tribune.com